Michel Djotodia

Michel Djotodia (1949-) was the President of the Central African Republic from 2013 to 2014, succeeding Francois Bozize and preceding Alexandre-Ferdinand Nguendet.

Biography
Michel Djotodia was born in Vakaga, French Equatorial Africa, France, in 1949 to a Muslim family. He spent ten months in the Soviet Union, and became fluent in Russian. During the 1980s he was a tax official after returning to his birthplace, now the Central African Republic. He was regarded as an intellectual and a well-educated man who spoke several languages, although he was obscure. In 2006, he became the leader of the Union of Democratic Forces for Unity (UFDR) after founding it, and during the Central African Republic Bush War, he was in exile in Benin. Djotodia was arrested in Cotonou alongside his spokesman Abakar Sabon, but in 2008 they were released after agreeing to engage in peace talks with the government under President Francois Bozize. On 3 February 2013 a national unity government was formed after Djotodia's Seleka rebel coalition took over several towns in the CAR, and Bozize decided to appease the rebels. While Djotodia was content, other Seleka rebel leaders disagreed with the government and decided to resume the war. Djotodia was prevented from going to the capital of Bangui by his troops, and the Seleka continued to attack villages across the country. He later decided to dissolve the Central African National Assembly and the government, and on 28 March 2013 he became the new President of the CAR. Although the Seleka took over the government, violence against civilians continued across the country. On 10 January 2014 he resigned as president while in N'Djamena, Chad, due to his failure to control the situation. In July 2014, however, he became the restored leader of the Seleka.